Sanguine Paradise
Chapter 45: [Day 16] – “The Mark”

∼ Day 16 ∼

"Mia, what happened to Gurok's- uhm, the orc's body?" - Me

"He's outside the hut. We were unsure if you wanted the body to experiment with like you did the others. So we simply decided to wait until you would wake." - Mia

"Alright then, bring him in." - Me

Going out, Mia quickly came back in with two hoblins carrying the gaunt form of Gurok's body.

His skin had turned a sickly dark-purple, and his skeletal remains of bone and skin were stinking of rot and decay.

It would seem that whatever magic had done this had sped up the process of which the corpse decays. Crouching down, I spend some time investigating the corpse.

As soon as I split open his chest, I replace something very unusual. First of all, I found the place where one of the rend spells went off. It had started from under his left lung and penetrated all the way through his heart to his clavicle.

Due to the size and damage done by this rend compared to the other spot in his abominable area where another rend had taken place, I could easily register it as being the final killing blow which I had performed just before passing out.

But the particularly "unusual" thing I found in the wound, was something that was around the heart itself.

Clutched around his mauled heart was what looked to be a bug or creature of some sort. The bug was dark-purple, and looked like a leech that had long dark tendrils covering and piercing the heart.

But it didn't seem like a single entity, it had seemingly melded with the heart itself, even going as far as tainting it in the same sickly dark-purple hue.

I sensed no life from the small creature as it apparently had also been torn apart by my spell. There was one instinct thing that I could faintly feel from it. It was the exact same feeling that had been radiating from Gurok's aura when he seemingly went rampant.

It was obvious now that this creature was the perpetrator in the magic that had amalgamated Gurok's body and brought him that unnatural power and might.

I spend some more time inspecting Gurok's body. It doesn't take long before I manage to form an idea to what occurred within his body when the magic had taken hold.

This bug must be some creature of magic that can consume flesh and tissue to convert it into pure magical power. Although very powerful, it has quite the drawback.

After activating the magic, it had rendered Gurok effectively braindead. Also, after the magic would wear out, there's no possible way for such a decayed body to sustain life.

This magic is essentially a suicide buffer.

I truly wonder who or what could've possibly done this to the orc. But after seeing that Gurok had already been acquainted with magic, I don't doubt that he was someone under the control of a very powerful individual.

Getting back up, I can only look at his body in disappointment. Its a shame that I had lost the opportunity to drink his blood. After the magic had taken hold and for the during I've been unconscious, the blood had all rotted away or simply gone bad

Ordering Mia to replace someone to get rid of the body, I walk out of the hut. Although I had already offered Bob the corpse to mend his body, not even he wanted to eat something that vile and decayed.

"M-master!" - Darkan

Right outside the hut stood Darkan. He was obviously happy to see that I was alive and awake as he scuttled over to me.

Seeing Bob's form also emerge from inside the hut, Darkan immediately bowed in respect towards us both.

"Master, Chief. You've come at a perfect time, the orcs are starting to get restless." - Darkan

"Oh? So they're still here?" - Me

"Yes, master. We're unsure as to why. They claim that will only speak to you..." - Darkan

Nodding, I make him guide us over to where they apparently were staying.

Outside the tribe walls, the warband of hobgoblins and the two orcs that Gurok had brought with him had set up camp.

Upon seeing the figures of me, Bob, and Darkan, the two orcs approached us.

One was a man, and the other a female. Although one of them was a female, she wasn't any smaller than the man. She herself was sporting some hulking and taught muscles, even rivaling the man.

Before the distance was close between us, I appraise them both.

Appraisal - Orc

[Appraisal - Orc]

Name: "???"

Race: Orc

Sex: Male

Rank: F+

Level: 11/35

Health: 192/192

Stamina: 71/71

Mana: 0/0

[Attributes]

STR - 28

VIT - 20

AGI - 20

DEX - 15

INT - 12

CHR - 4

WILL - ???

MAG - 0.5

[Trait, Titles, and Skills].

Skills - ???

Traits - ???

Titles - ???

[Resistances]

Phy. Resistance - 8

Mag. Resistance - 2

Men. Resistance - ???

Appraisal - Orc

[Appraisal - Orc]

Name: "???"

Race: Orc

Sex: Female

Rank: F+

Level: 10/35

Health: 183/183

Stamina: 68/68

Mana: 0/0

[Attributes]

STR - 25

VIT - 20

AGI - 22

DEX - 15

INT - 14

CHR - 6

WILL - ???

MAG - 0.5

[Trait, Titles, and Skills].

Skills - ???

Traits - ???

Titles - ???

[Resistances]

Phy. Resistance - 8

Mag. Resistance - 2

Men. Resistance - ???

Quite a bit weaker than Gurok. But I still have to be careful as I don't know if they also have that bug wrapped around their hearts.

"Why are you still here?" - Me

"You killed the warchief." - ???

My eyelids move together casting them a scrutinizing look. Before they speak further, I let some of my aura seep into my voice.

"You want to take revenge?" - Me

Exchanging glances, the two orcs return a bit befuddled expression to me.

"N-no, -uhm we want to serve under you..." - ???

Letting all of my intent dissipate, I return their befuddled expressions with one of my own.

"Oh- Why? I have just killed your leader." - Me

Before they can respond to my question, I hear Darkan whisper to me from behind.

"M-master, you might not know, but this is usual greenskin behavior. Seeing as they've stayed after a duel between leaders it's either because they respect the winner's strength and want to join, or what is waiting for them back from their own tribe is only death because of their failure." - Darkan

I nod in appreciation.

"Ah- I see. Thank you Darkan." - Me

Giving both them and the warband a scrutinizing look, I suddenly speak up.

"Okay. I will accept your servitude, but I have a lot of questions that needs answering." - Me

Suddenly falling to their knees, both orcs shout out a phrase in Rathian that doesn't exactly have a corresponding meaning to anything I know. But I can somewhat translate the intent and meaning to "Till death, we fight to serve".

As the tribe currently was not big enough to accommodate new additions, they camped outside for now. Walking into the feasting grounds, Bob and I sit down with the two new additions to our tribe and the hobgoblin leaders from my tribe.

After eating, I start with the questions.

"Gurok had mentioned that I was the one who had been wreaking havoc in his territory. While it is correct that I went on a bit of a slaughter not that long ago, but how come after just one day you all had already arrived?" - Me

I was very confused as to how they had not only already gotten wind of all the killings, but also managed to travel all the way out here with such a large warband.

"We were already sent on a mission out here before we found the remains you've left behind. Gurok was angered by it and decided to deviate from the mission for a day to solve this. Unfortunately for him, that was his last decision." - ???

"Oh? Well, that makes a lot of sense then. What mission could've brought you out here then?" - Me

"The mistress had sent us out here due to a human raiding party arriving in the glades." - ???

"What?!" - Me

Hearing this I exclaimed. First of all, who was this "mistress" that they mentioned. And what about this human raiding party in the glades?

"The mistress had gotten information about a large human party arriving in the glades, and we were sent to observe the situation." - ???

"Okay, then who's this mistress?" - Me

"She's the master of our tribe." - ???

"Was it her magic that Gurok wielded?" - Me

"Ah... Uhm, we're not entirely sure. But we think that was Gurok activating the mark of the mistress." - ???

"I see. Then was it also her that bestoved him the name Gurok?" - Me

"Yes." - ???

Shit... I might've pissed off someone really powerful here.

"Do you two or anyone from the hobgoblins have this mark?" - Me

"No. The mark is not something given out lightly by the mistress. She has many other tribes and precincts under her control, so Gurok had only been summoned one time by her and we returned he had this mark." - ???

Phew... good, I don't think I can handle another one of those.

"So where is this mistress?" - Me

"Ah... we don't know. She only sends representatives with messages and orders to our tribe." - ???

Hmm. Let's just hope that she won't figure out that I've damaged her "property" any time soon.

"So how come the mistress sent you to observe some humans in the glades?" - Me

"Greenskin tribes riddle the wildlands to the west of the humans, but we're the furthest from human civilization as our precinct lays up to the glades. As the glades are something that most humans and monsters avoid, we were sent to replace out why." - ???

Ah- crap...

The only reason I see as to why they would suddenly appear in the glades would be due to me... I should've really thought it more through back then at the village.

Micheal you stupid idiot...